STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS OF UKRAINE: ROLE IN IMAGE FORMATION AND INTEGRATION PROCESSES

Abstract

The article examines the strategic communications in Ukraine, namely origins and formation, relevance, current state and challenges. It is emphasized that in the era of globalization while the development of information technologies has ac- quired key importance in building the state image and stability, strategic commu- nications are becoming an integral part of national security and state policy of all countries in the world. It is proven that this area has acquired special importance for Ukraine. After 2014 the country faced the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and hybrid military aggression by the Russian Federation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in combination with hybrid threats, includ- ing an aggressive disinformation campaign. Such circumstances have caused the development of a comprehensive system of strategic communications to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty as well as strengthen its international presence and coun- ter external and internal challenges. The study showed that strategic communi- cations in Ukraine combine military, diplomatic, cultural and information tools to achieve strategic goals, and are therefore considered to be quite integrative. It is emphasized that the adoption of a new edition of the Military Doctrine of Ukraine in 2015 was a landmark for the development of strategic communica- tions. This document laid the foundation for the inclusion of strategic commu- nications as a vital component of national defense and information policy. The study shows that since the February 2022 full-scale Russian invasion Ukraine has demonstrated significant progress in the development of strategic commu- nications. This was dictated by the need to counter Russian propaganda, attract domestic and international support and maintain the unity of society in such an extremely difficult period. Despite significant positive moves in the development of strategic communications Ukraine is facing quite significant challenges in the information war, which may have a certain negative impact both on the deployment of communications and attracting international support in general and in the information space in particular.